"Taxation without reformation" - nah go work - that's what the Chamber said when it decreed a national shutdown of businesses last week. On Monday after the dust of dissent settled, the Chamber announced that it felt its two day shutdown had worked because government agreed to hold talks on reform. Those talks were held today at the Radisson where the Chamber executive, along with an NTUCB representative met with Ministers Jose Coye and Godfrey Smith from 9:00 am right through to 4:30 pm.
At the end of it they held a press briefing where they told us that between the business sector and government, not including the unions, there was a breakthrough on the subject of reform, but nothing yet in terms of a long term resolution.
Godfrey Smith, Minister of Foreign Affairs and Tourism
"We've gone through all reforms. There is no issue of reform that has not been addressed. From here what will happen is that some drafting will occur. The amendments that we went through for the Finance and Audit Bill, for instance, will be drafted and it will be given to the social partners, the Chamber, and the unions etc. Maybe as early as this weekend we will be meeting again to revise them to ensure that we are all in agreement. So in principle we are in agreement subject to the drafts that will come forward in relation to all of the reforms."
Jules Vasquez,
Would you be able to say what is the upshot of all this as it relates to the impending shutdown we are facing with the unions in particular, have they agreed to relent from their position?
Godfrey Smith,
"Well this meeting was directed strictly towards the reform process."
Godwin Hulse, Chamber of Commerce
"The meeting today was simply not to get only from government a commitment to deal with them but to work them through in their minute detail and how each one will be addressed by constitutional amendment, by Act, and or by amendments to the standing orders to give effect to these provisions. And as at this point in time we are satisfied that this has been done. What remains to be done now is to see the actual text that will be going before the National Assembly for approval."
Jules Vasquez,
So with these things in place does the Chamber and Belize Business Bureau presently stand in support of the budget?
Godwin Hulse,
"We are talking strictly about reforms at this point in time, there are two different issues. The budget matters are monetary and financial matters for which there will be further discussions."
Jules Vasquez,
With these initiatives of reform, is the business sector prepared to accept that yes this is our responsibility and that we will pay if you do the reforms?
Godwin Hulse,
"That as I think Mr. Herrera said, and the BCCI has already, is a separate discussion; initial statements from the business community is hey let's talk about reforms. The initial push was you cannot come to us and dump taxes on us and all the rest of things and then not want to enter this discussion of reforms. Today's forum was to enter that and to engage the government, and they were well engaged, and we have come out with what I would describe to my mind, and I think the public has recognized that I have been the champion of these reforms for years. I came into this meeting with a view to come out of this meeting satisfied that the reforms that (need to) will be put in place will be put in place and will have the necessary effects that we've been looking for, for the last 5 years."
Jules Vasquez,
Do you feel Mr. Hulse that the government had to be forced into a position where it was prepared to talk about these reforms and had to be forced into a 2 day national shutdown to do this?
Godwin Hulse,
"That's a tough question for me to answer but I think I answered it two weeks ago when I gave my delivery at the Prime Minister's forum."
